Spectrum
by Caylen
Summary: Katie Matlin is back and ready for a fresh start and new semester at Degrassi. She wants to make things right now that she's out of rehab, but she finds herself getting distracted by Bianca DeSousa. Based on promos for Season 12. Kianca.
1. we were light and paper thin

_**Spectrum**_

_Chapter 1: we were light and paper thin_

* * *

Katie Matlin walked back into Degrassi, taking a deep breath as she entered the glass doors, Maya trotting along beside her. She was finally beginning to feel like herself again. She was back from rehab, back as student council president, and ready to make a fresh start in the new semester.

"We've got to get to the big assembly," she said, smirking down at her sister. "Simpson's got some big news apparently." As they entered the gym, already full of students, Katie scanned the room. "Oh, there's Drew and Bianca," she smiled. "I'll see you later, Maya."

Katie joined the laughing pair as they discussed the sweater her parents had given Drew. She was in a good mood, and two of them had really been supportive of her through rehab. "It's okay, you just have to wear it at every family dinner at my house," she assured her boyfriend lightly.

"Wow Katie, it seems like you're in a really good place," Bianca told her. Katie looked back at Bianca, surprised by her insightful comment, but appreciative of it too. She'd really grown to like the curly haired brunette over the last month. Bianca had a kindness to her that took a while to show itself, but Katie had seen it when she was at her breaking point. She knew she'd been cruel in her accusations of her in the past and it hadn't been Katie's shining moment using her to score oxy, but she was really glad to have that all in the past now. She hoped that they'd be able to become better friends over this semester. She looked at her genuinely. "Thanks Bianca, I am."

Katie gave Drew a grin before turning her attention to Principal Simpson. She was really excited about turning things around for herself and she was glad to have Drew by her side. She assumed that her struggles with addiction must have been pretty hard on him, but he managed to stay with her through it all. Katie had learned in rehab to cherish those in your life that support you and she planned to do that from this point forward.

When Simpson finally announced the news about Degrassi being uniform-free, the room broke out in cheers. Katie jumped up, bouncing happily and smiling over at Drew and Bianca. Suddenly her mouth fell open, seeing the brunette began removing her shirt. For some reason she was unable to look away from the girl's lacy pink… shirt. Yeah, it was just her shirt she'd been interested in. That was normal; it was a cute camisole, after all. Katie probably was just noticing how pretty it was and was just making a mental note to ask her where she bought it later. She hadn't been looking at her boobs or anything, no way. Yeah, just the form-fitting, tight–

"Thank God," Bianca said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Katie snapped her eyes up, noticing Drew had been staring as well. It didn't bother her as much as her own gaze however, so she wasn't about to bring it up.

"Thank Simpson," she quipped in, feeling she had to say something, just to distract herself from her eyes falling back down to Bianca's chest–_shirt–_again. "I have a really good feeling about this term, don't you?" Katie pulled Drew into a tight hug, feeling his muscles in his arms and back as she clutched him. They felt nice; it reminded her that it was her _boyfriend_ she should be thinking about, and soon enough she pushed away her momentary thoughts of Bianca. It was nothing to concern herself about anyway, she loved _Drew_, and that was that.

* * *

"A party at your place?" Katie asked. She sat across the lunch table from Drew and Bianca, and Marisol by her side who was accompanied by Mo. "Won't your mom like, freak out?"

"How's she going to find out?" Drew laughed. "Are you going to tell her?"

Katie gave him a skeptical look. "Of course not. As long as we don't break into the school this time, I'm in," she grinned.

"This is going to be great," Bianca raised her eyebrows and smiled at her.

Katie bit her lip, looking away. "Um, yeah! What do you think Mar, who should we invite?" Katie turned to face Marisol, avoiding further eye contact with Bianca for the time being.

"Well, all of us here obviously, Owen and the other hockey guys, Jake, and I guess Adam's friends, right Drew?"

Drew nodded at Marisol and mentioned Eli, Clare, Alli, Dave, KC, and maybe a few others that Katie didn't hear. She glanced back at Bianca, who saw her look, so she had to say something. "That's a really cute top," she uttered casually. "Where'd you get it?"

"Thanks," Bianca smirked. "Oh, I got it at Fieldmen's, you know that store a couple blocks up from the Dot? They've got some cute stuff there, if you ever wanted to go shopping or anything."

"Oh? I've never been there," Katie shrugged. "We should check it out sometime. You were the one who told me I needed to sultry up my wardrobe a little," she added with a chuckle.

"Did you just say _sultry_?" Bianca laughed. "You're ridiculous, Matlin. But you're on; we should go shopping for the party."

Katie flushed a bit when Bianca teased her. "But it's tonight," she looked at her, confused.

"So we'll go right after school, how 'bout it?" Bianca offered.

Katie nodded. "Sure," she smiled. She was more eager to go shopping than to go to the actual party, but she figured that was just because she wasn't much of a partier. Yeah, that was probably it.

"Basically I'm fine with inviting everyone except Fiona and her annoying little girlfriend," Katie overheard Marisol telling Drew.

Katie had been so focused on her conversation with Bianca that she'd tuned out the party invite talk until that moment. "Come on Mar, I thought you said she wasn't so bad after the whole carnival thing," Katie turned her attention away from Bianca, giving Marisol a disapproving look. She was trying to better herself and that meant not going along with her friend's mistreatment of people anymore.

"Fine," Marisol sighed, dropping her hands. "But they better not gay up the place too much."

Katie narrowed her eyes at her.

"Well I don't mind if they do," Drew chimed in with a smirk. Mo gave him a high five.

Katie turned the same face she'd been giving Marisol to Drew, rolling her eyes, while Marisol slapped Mo's shoulder. She softened a bit when she saw Bianca laughing.

"Okay, so, Mar, you'll send out the Facerange invites then?" she delegated. "And not leave anyone off, right?" she added.

Marisol nodded at her, looking at her incredulously. "Yes _President_ Katie, don't worry, I'll do it."

"Good," she smirked back at her friend. "Drew, you and Adam can handle readying the house, you know, putting away stuff that could get broken and everything, right?"

He nodded at her. "Yeah, no problem."

"And then Bianca and I can pick up some food and refreshments after we go shopping," she smiled across the table at her.

"Sure," Bianca smirked. "Sounds good."

Marisol was busy creating the Facerange page for the party with Mo on her phone, so Katie didn't have to worry about her inviting herself along. Not that she'd mind having her there. But she approved of it just be her and Bianca, for some reason.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! Story and chapter title (lyrics) by __**Florence + the Machine – Spectrum**__, which is an amazing song that I'd obviously recommend, haha. Please review and I will be inspired to write Chapter 2 faster! As of now, I'm planning on this being a three chaptered story, but we'll see :)_


	2. every color illuminates

_**Spectrum**_

_Chapter 2: every color illuminates_

* * *

Katie waited on the steps outside for Bianca. She was bundled up in her pea coat, pulling her patterned scarf tightly around her neck. She smiled when she spotted her coming through the doors; her cheeks warmed a bit when she walked up closer to her. It was weird because it was cold outside, but Katie brushed it off, figuring the weather was just messing with her.

"Hey," Bianca greeted her. "Luckily it's not too far from here, it's fucking cold out," she shoved her hands in her pink bubble coat pockets.

"Yeah, let's get going," Katie agreed, following the dark haired girl's lead. Trailing behind Bianca, Katie picked up her speed a bit so that she could walk by her side. "I'm glad you invited me out shopping with you, Bianca," she worked up the courage to say quietly after walking for a little while. "I know I was pretty bitchy to you when I was high–and even sometimes when I wasn't–I can't believe you'd want to hang out with me at all."

Bianca looked over at her and Katie found herself holding her breath. "I had a good time with you before it went bad," she shrugged, smiling slightly. "To be honest, I was surprised you wanted to go shopping with me. I thought you had Marisol for that sort of thing."

Katie smiled at Bianca. "Yeah, I do. But occasionally it's nice to spend time with people who have a slightly firmer grip on reality than Mar does," she laughed.

Bianca chuckled along with her. "Seriously. I know you two are best friends and all, but it's girls like her that remind me why I basically have no friends who are girls. Oh, here we are," Bianca pointed to the store on their left, opening up the door and holding it open for Katie.

"Well… we could be friends," Katie spoke before she had a chance to think. She kicked herself for sounding so incredibly lame and turned away to look at the first row of shirts she could find, not wanting Bianca to see her looking embarrassed.

Bianca walked up beside the rack of clothes and looked at Katie. "I thought I was just your _connect_," she twisted her face up, raising her eyebrows.

Katie bit her lip. "I was stupid for ever saying that," she frowned. "You're more than just that." She shuffled through the hangers awkwardly, not making eye contact with Bianca.

"Oh yeah? What am I then?" Bianca asked, sounding intrigued.

"You're… cool," Katie mumbled, feeling exceptionally lame again.

Bianca grinned at her and Katie couldn't help but smile back widely. "I guess you can be pretty cool too, Matlin," she laughed.

Katie fought back a blush. "Okay, what about this?" she asked as a distraction, pulling out a purple button up shirt and bringing it to her chest.

"Way too pick the most conservative thing in the whole store," Bianca teased, grabbing it from her and putting it back on the rack. "Let's get you a dress," she suggested, reaching for Katie's wrist and pulling her over to the other side of the store. Katie stared down at where Bianca's hand held her, a bit surprised by the contact, but she let her guide her over. It reminded Katie of when Bianca had unexpectedly pulled down her shirt in the club; she'd been surprised then too, but not exactly in a _bad_ way.

Katie searched through the racks absent mindedly, peeking up at Bianca, who looked like she was very intent on finding the perfect dress.

"Oh, here we go," Bianca nodded enthusiastically, holding up a sleek black, one shouldered, and very _short_ dress.

"I can't wear _that_," Katie argued, contorting her face.

"Why not?" Bianca handed it to her. "Come on, it's on sale. At_ least_ try it on."

Katie frowned. "But–"

"Miss!" Bianca yelled over to the saleswoman on the other side of the store. "My friend here needs to use the dressing room," she turned back to Katie and winked.

Katie sighed, following the saleswoman into the changing rooms. "Fine. I'll try it on, but I don't have to show you it though."

Bianca trailed right behind her. "Um, yes you _do_. I don't trust your judgment here. That's why I'm here, remember? To help you _sultry_ up your wardrobe," she laughed.

Katie smirked. "Okay… but it's going to look terrible on me."

Bianca rolled her eyes at her. She closed the door to the stall and began undressing, feeling strangely aware of the fact that Bianca was right on the other side of the door. She slipped out of her shirt and pants quickly and pulled the dress over her head. The strap of her bra looked awkward with the one sided sleeve, so she took that off too.

"How's it look?" Bianca called.

"I'm still working on the zipper," she responded, her fingers working to move it upward on the back of the dress.

"Open the door. I'll get it for you," the other girl offered.

Katie hesitated. "Uh… that's okay. Just give me a minute." Katie yanked harder on the zipper, which wouldn't budge.

"Don't be dumb," Bianca said and she opened the door to the stall.

"Hey!" Katie yelped, stepping back. "You can't just _walk_ in. What if I was naked?"

"What would be the big deal if you were?" Bianca shook her head in confusion, closing the stall door behind her. "It's just me. Anyway, you're not, so whatever. Now turn around."

Katie obeyed, turning her exposed back to Bianca. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt the brunette's fingertips brush lightly over her skin to get to the zipper. What was _that_ about?

Bianca pulled the zipper up with ease. "Alright, now back around so I can see," she instructed.

Katie slowly turned, stopping in front of the mirror to take a short look for herself, then continued until she faced Bianca. "I look ridiculous. It's too short."

"Yeah, ridiculously _hot_. And your legs look amazing," Bianca raised her eyebrows and gave her a smirk, crossing her arms as she looked her up and down.

Katie turned red and looked at the ground. There was no hiding her blush this time, trapped in the tiny dressing room with Bianca. "Do you think Drew will like it?" she asked timidly, pushing away thoughts of how pleasant it felt to hear Bianca's approval. Drew's was the approval she _really_ wanted, after all.

"I'm going to go with a big _yes_ on that one," she laughed. "Alright, there's no question here. You're getting it, Katie," she decided.

Bianca left her in the changing room then. "I'll be out in the store when you're ready," she called.

"Okay," Katie said back. She took a deep breath, turning to the mirror. She bit her lip, thoughts traveling back to what Bianca had said about the dress as she checked herself out. She smiled slightly at her reflection, suddenly thinking it looked a bit better than she'd originally thought.

* * *

Katie and Bianca headed toward the Torres' basement, Katie holding her new dress in one hand and a couple of shopping bags full of drinks in the other. Bianca held the chips and other snacks in her arms.

"How come I got all the heavy stuff?" Katie complained. "My arms are about to fall off."

"Oh, suck it up soccer star, we're almost there," Bianca shook her head, chuckling. She slid open the glass door with one hand and closed it behind Katie once she'd made it in.

Adam was standing on a ladder hanging what seemed to be colored Christmas lights around the frame of the room. "What? It's festive!" Adam chuckled when Katie gave him an inquisitive look. She dropped her things down dramatically on the nearby table.

Bianca rolled her eyes at her, laughing. "You are ridiculous."

Katie smiled at her, then out of the corner of her eye noticed Drew on the couch, playing a video game. She walked over to him and plopped down beside him. "Hard at work, I see?" she smiled.

Drew frowned. "I put stuff away already, I _swear_," he said grumpily.

"I was just kidding," Katie said defensively. "Whatever, I'll just help Adam and Bianca then." Drew was too busy with his video game to so much as look at her apparently, so she wasn't in the mood to deal with him. She got back up off the couch, marching over to Bianca, who was now chatting with Adam.

"You know, the lights are a nice touch," she told them both. Adam looked pleased. Bianca started putting out food on the table as Katie mixed the punch. They had less than an hour before people were supposed to start arriving, so Katie wanted to finish up quickly so she'd have time to get ready.

"I've got to run home and get changed," Bianca said, looking at her watch. "See you kids in a bit."

Katie watched her go, staring a little too long.

"You okay?" Adam asked, giving her a look of confusion.

"Uh, yeah," she snapped back to fixing up the table. "I'm going to go get changed," she stated, grabbing the bag containing her new dress and leaving the room before he could ask her anything else. She walked up the stairs to the bathroom, beginning to get ready. She was a little nervous about wearing the dress to the party, but was looking forward to making her boyfriend regret ignoring her earlier when she walked out wearing it.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you for all your lovely reviews. I will be further inspired to keep writing at this pace if you wonderful readers keep it up :) And at this rate the story is look like it may be at least 4 chapters now, so I hope that is okay, haha. Oh, and the chapter title is from the same Florence song as the previous one._


	3. we are shining

_**Spectrum**_

_Chapter 3: we are shining_

* * *

Katie heard the doorbell ring as she was finishing up her makeup. She peeked out from the bathroom to see that Clare and Eli were the first to arrive at the house and Drew had let them in. The group went down to the basement to meet Adam and Katie followed a few steps behind.

"Oh, _Dr-ew_…" she called over to him coyly as she neared the end of the steps.

She'd added black pumps and long, dangling silver earrings to her ensemble and she was feeling pretty good about herself at the moment.

He turned around to meet her gaze. "Hey," he said simply, then turned back around to where Adam, Eli, and Clare stood.

Katie frowned. "What do you think?" she asked, giving him another opportunity.

"Of what?" he asked, looking confused as he turned toward her again. He appeared annoyed, like she was bugging him or something. Katie didn't understand what she'd done wrong or what was going on. Things hadn't been great between her and Drew lately, but she had been trying to fix things and show how appreciative she was of him helping her through rehab. She hoped that he'd at least have noticed she was _trying_.

"My dress," she said, narrowing her eyes, a little incensed.

"Oh," he nodded. "Yeah, it's fine." He shrugged. "What'd you… raid Bianca's closet or something?" he laughed.

Katie's mouth fell open in anger. She was about to tell him where he could go when Bianca opened the sliding door and came in the room, looking stunning in a tight blue dress. Katie looked at her in wonder for a moment, then noticed Drew staring at her too, looking like he was about to drool. If she hadn't already been mad at him for completely disregarding her, she might have let it slide considering she'd kind of been doing the same and didn't want to try to explain that, but Katie was just downright pissed at this point. "_Really_ Drew?" she yelled, outstretching her arms. "Yeah, I get it, Bianca's hot. But I'm your _girlfriend _and you don't even bat an eyelash in my direction!" she hollered, stomping away. She hated acting in the role of the jealous girlfriend, but at least her anger was directed at Drew instead of Bianca like it had been in the past. She had hoped that after rehab she could put these insecurities behind her, but here they were rearing their ugly head again. She felt embarrassed about the whole thing, but was most upset that Bianca had to see her act this way, after they'd been able to finally start becoming friends.

"Katie…" Drew called after her, clearly feeling guilty he was caught staring at the wrong girl.

"Leave me alone," Katie warned, continuing her storm out.

"Nice one," she heard Bianca say sarcastically behind her. She didn't know if it was directed at Drew or her, but either way it gave her a feeling of pain in her chest. Katie shook the tears from her eyes, hurrying over behind the wall that divided the room, hiding there.

Bianca met her on the other side of the wall seconds later. "Hey," she said softly.

Katie eyes were on the floor and her face burned from her tears and humiliation. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"You look great, Katie. Drew's an idiot sometimes," Bianca told her, sitting down beside her.

"Thanks," Katie sighed, wiping her eyes carefully. She hoped her makeup wasn't already ruined. She was afraid to look over at Bianca in case it had been.

They sat quietly for a little while and Katie took a few deep breaths, feeling slightly better. She heard the doorbell ring and the sounds of footsteps upstairs. It seemed like everyone was starting to arrive.

"So, you ready to party?" Bianca asked with a smile, getting to her feet. She held out her hand to help Katie up. "Don't worry, I'll shield you from stupid boys," she offered with a laugh.

Katie smiled slightly, taking Bianca's hand. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

The party was in full throttle by 9:30, music playing loudly and people cluttered around all parts of the basement.

"This tastes funny," Katie said, taking a sip of her punch.

"I think someone spiked it," Bianca laughed.

Katie stared down at the liquid in the cup. She glanced up at Bianca for a second before downing the entire contents of her drink.

"Whoa there Matlin, you trying to get wasted?" the curly haired girl asked. "Last time that happened, it wasn't pretty."

"Well miss straightedge," she said, pouring another cup and handing it to Bianca. "This time I won't be alone. And it's better than oxy, right?"

Bianca gave her a concerned look. "Katie…"

Katie pushed the drink closer to Bianca and this time she took it from her. "I just want to have a good time, you know, take the edge of. We won't get drunk, just a little tipsy, okay?" she requested, holding out her pinky for Bianca like she had the last time they'd made a promise together.

Bianca sighed, but with a smile. She linked her pinky with Katie's and took a gulp of her drink with her other hand.

Katie beamed at her. "Now let's dance," she said, boldly taking Bianca's hand and pulling her over to where she saw Mo, Marisol, Jenna, and Jake. Katie could already feel a bit of a buzz in her head, but it felt good.

Bianca continued to sip her drink as they danced as a group.

"Where's Drew?" Marisol asked.

"Off being a jerk somewhere I'd assume," Katie shrugged, pretending not to care. She scanned the room and spotted him on the couch with KC, Dave, and Alli, laughing hysterically about something.

When Katie looked back at Marisol, she had her patented confused expression on her face, but Katie ignored it, not wanting to think about Drew at the moment. She turned back to Bianca. "You need a refill there?" she asked.

Bianca nodded, taking the last sip before handing it over to Katie. She leaned into Katie's ear. "Don't leave me here too long with Mr. and Mrs. Dim-wit," she whispered.

Katie snorted, looking over at Mo and Marisol holding hands as they danced a bit awkwardly. "I'll just be a second, Bee," she laughed, walking over to the table with the punch. Owen was there with a couple of the other hockey guys, trying to sneakily pour more alcohol into the punch. They froze when Katie walked over to them.

"Oh shit," Owen swore, hiding the bottle behind his back.

She laughed. "I don't care that you spiked it, guys. Just be sure to add some more juice so it doesn't taste terrible, okay? It's under the table." She poured both her and Bianca's cups to the brim. On her way back over she saw Adam, Clare, Eli, Fiona, and Imogen playing some sort of board game together on the floor in the corner of the room. She smiled and was glad to see Marisol had come through on her promise to invite everyone.

She remembered suddenly about Fiona being an alcoholic and was concerned that she might accidentally have the punch. She wondered if she should go over there and warn her, but since they weren't really friends, she thought it might be uncomfortable. "Hey Adam!" she waved him over.

He looked over at her curiously and stood up, jogging over to where Katie stood a safe distance away. "What's up?"

"I just wanted you to make sure Fiona doesn't have any of the punch," she said, taking a sip. "'Cause it's spiked," she added in a whisper, covering her mouth like it was a big secret.

"Clearly that hasn't stopped you," he gave her a perceptive look. "Didn't you just get out of rehab?"

Katie waved him off. "Not for alcohol," she clarified. "Anyway, can you just make sure? I don't want to cause any more problems for her."

"Yeah," Adam agreed. "But go easy there, Katie. Those aren't both for you, are they?"

She laughed. "No. One's for Bianca. Anyway, you should get back to your game."

He nodded and joined his friends again. Katie walked back over to her friends on opposite side of the room.

"There you are, Katie!" Bianca slung her arm around her, an almost empty cup already in her hand. "You disappeared so I went and got my own!"

Bianca's arm felt nice and warm against her neck, but Katie figured that was just an effect of the alcohol. She laughed and took a long sip. "What am I supposed to do with this one then?"

Bianca took one last sip and put her empty cup down on the nearest table, dragging Katie over with her. "I'll take that off your hands," she smiled, looking much too content to be considered sober.

"This coming from the girl who didn't want to drink at all," Katie giggled, taking another gulp of her own. They were sort of drunkenly half-dancing side by side now as they continued to down their punch.

"Wow, I haven't been drunk in a _really_ long time," Bianca laughed. She fanned herself a bit. "Can we get some fresh air? It's fucking hot in here."

Katie and Bianca stumbled over to the sliding glass door and looked outside. Drew was out there with Owen and KC now, so she didn't really want to venture out on the patio. "How about we go upstairs instead?" she suggested. "Nobody's up there so it'll be cooler."

Bianca nodded, following Katie up the stairs, both girls trying to steady themselves so they didn't spill the remaining contents of their drinks.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you for continuing to read! Please review :) I started writing the next chapter and I think you will hopefully like it… ;)_


	4. kiss your eyes and kiss your palms

_**Spectrum**_

_Chapter 4: kiss your eyes and kiss your palms_

* * *

_Sorry for the delay in updates! I had some writer's block in writing the second half of this chapter after seeing the actual episode play out, but I like how it turned out I think. Go ahead and review to let me know what you think! Mostly the delay is just that school is taking over my life even more than usual and will continue to do so for a while. So I will do my best, but updates will probably continue to be somewhat spaced out because of this. I apologize, but I love all you faithful readers who are sticking with me. Thank you and please be sure to review :)_

* * *

After spending a bit of time in the kitchen finishing their drinks, Katie thought it would be a good idea to go up to Drew's bedroom because they'd be able to open a window up there. After fiddling with the window and pushing it open, she felt exhausted. She flopped down on the bed.

Bianca sat down beside her and after a minute she laid down too. "Is the room spinning for you too?" she laughed.

"Uh-huh," Katie grinned.

"So I heard you think I'm hot?" Bianca asked, grinning over at her.

"_What?_" Katie choked on air as she turned to look at Bianca, cheeks turning bright red.

"You know, earlier, when you were yelling at Drew… you said I was hot," she chuckled.

"Please, as if you didn't already know you are," Katie forced a laugh and rolled her eyes, trying to play it off.

"Well… I didn't know _you_ thought I was," Bianca teased.

Katie figured she was probably purple now, by how hotly her cheeks were searing with embarrassment. "I-uh…" she sputtered, unable to say anything intelligible.

"My, my!" Bianca said triumphantly. "I've made Katie Matlin speechless!"

Katie didn't want to let her be right. Being speechless meant she had something to hide. "So what if I think you're hot?" she sniggered. For some reason she couldn't stop laughing; it was probably the combination of nervousness and four cups of punch. "Girls can think other girls are hot if they _are. _It doesn't mean anything," she giggled, trying to convince Bianca and, more importantly, herself.

"Is that so?" Bianca burst out laughing.

Katie frowned reflexively.

"What? No, sorry, I'm not making fun of you," she assured her. "I think you're hot too, if that helps."

Katie's stomach flipped. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. Katie turned over on her side, facing Bianca. "Have you ever kissed a girl?" She couldn't believe she'd just asked it; she never would have tested it if she was sober.

Bianca moved her body to face Katie as well. "No… have you?" she asked coolly.

Katie was in even further disbelief that Bianca hadn't been freaked out by her question. She shook her head. Feeling daring after Bianca's reaction to her first question, and with additional encouragement from the alcohol running through her system, Katie found the courage to ask another. "Have you ever wanted to?"

Bianca didn't say anything, she just stared back at her. Katie froze. She couldn't take back what she'd said, but she was also desperate to hear the answer, so she couldn't just run away either. Katie's vision was still a bit hazy, but after a moment she could've sworn Bianca's face was moving closer to hers. Then, suddenly, her lips met Katie's, and, feeling as though she wasn't actually in control of her own body at that moment, Katie closed her eyes, kissing Bianca back gently.

The taller girl deepened the kiss and crawled on top of her and Katie wrapped her arms around her, in disbelief that any person's lips could feel so soft and _right_. She told herself it was obviously just because she was drunk. Kissing _anyone_ would feel good right now. She ran her fingers up Bianca's back, sliding them into her hair and gripping her neck as she opened her mouth to explore the brunette's further. Katie's fingers then travelled through Bianca's hair, eliciting a soft moan from the curly haired girl. The sound affected Katie more than she thought it would and she gasped at the reaction she felt from her own body. She felt goosebumps rise on her arms as Bianca leaned down to kiss her neck. She let her instincts take over completely then, giving in to her desires. Katie tugged at the other girl's dress, pulling it over her head, staring blatantly as she had in school earlier that day, but this time there was even more to see. Pulling Bianca back down to meet her lips, she kissed her roughly, mumbling sounds of encouragement as she felt Bianca's hands wandering over her thighs. Katie had no intentions of stopping; she knew it wasn't right for a whole host of reasons, first and foremost that she wasn't _gay_ and had a _boy_friend, but she was intoxicated enough to give in to the benefit of the situation that she currently weighed more heavily, which was that it felt really fucking _good_.

* * *

"I can't believe we just did that," Bianca's voice cracked a bit as she said it, but she spoke softly. Katie wasn't sure, her mind even more clouded than before, but she thought she heard panic in her voice. Katie lay with her head on Bianca's naked chest and looked up at her curiously. It wasn't until Bianca lightly moved Katie's head off of her and sprung up from the bed to search the room for her clothes that had been scattered around Drew's room that she knew the other girl was freaking out.

Bianca pulled her underwear on quickly and threw her bra on in such a rush that her straps were both twisted up.

"Bee… wait," Katie said bleakly, forcing herself up on her elbows. While it seemed Bianca had managed to sober herself a bit, Katie felt even more exhausted than before, and her mind's ability to process what was happening was slow. It was because of this reason that she wasn't right there with Bianca freaking out that she'd just had sex for the first time ever and it just so happened to be with a _girl_. It was also why she didn't bother covering herself up as she watched the other girl frantically dress herself.

"Look Katie, this isn't me…" Bianca told her, pulling her dress roughly over her head. "I was drunk… we just got carried away, I-I'm not–"

Katie looked at her in confusion, feeling her mind grow fuzzier, and sleep calling out to her. Katie didn't want Bianca to leave, but she couldn't find the words, she could barely even keep her eyes open.

"Come on, Katie, we've got to get out of here. If Drew finds you passed out and naked on his bed… I-I don't even know," she heard Bianca say and as the brunette helped her into her own clothes. Katie didn't protest, but as she had some difficulty lifting her own limbs at the moment, she needed her assistance. The last thing she could remember of the night was her head resting on Bianca's shoulder as the other girl held onto her waist, Katie's arm slung around her, using her for support. They headed out of Drew's room, but Katie's eyes were closed, and she didn't have the capacity to worry about where they were going. Even in this state, she knew she could trust Bianca and she sank into her side, letting her lead the way.

* * *

Katie awoke to the seemingly louder than usual beeping of her alarm clock and a sharp pain in her head. She clutched her forehead with one hand tightly, rubbing her thumb above her eyebrows while she smacked the clock with her other. She slowly opened her eyes and found that she was in her room. She lay on top of her covers and she wore her dress from the previous night, but it was a bit mussed up. She didn't remember coming home at all, but she knew she had Bianca to thank for getting her there. _Bianca_. The thought triggered her memories of the party to return to her. The dancing, the drinking, the time they'd spent in Drew's room–the latter part of her memory was the fuzziest and Katie hoped to God that it had just been a hazy dream. It didn't matter how wasted she had been, she never would have actually… no–she couldn't have–it wasn't possible, _no_. Katie panicked, her body breaking out in a cold sweat. _Look Katie, this isn't me. I was drunk… we just got carried away, I-I'm not_– Bianca's words came back to her suddenly. "Shit," Katie's breath shortened as she forced herself out of bed, despite the pain resonating in her head. She frantically searched the room for her clutch, which she hoped had her phone in it, but she couldn't find it anywhere.

Giving up on the pursuit of her phone, Katie managed to make it to the bathroom before the wave of nausea hit. She emptied her stomach into the white toilet bowl and grabbed at the faucet in the bathtub, turning it on to cover up the noise. She couldn't have her family hear her and jump to the conclusion that she was back on oxy. A few tears streamed down Katie's face as she threw up again, more from the stinging memories than from the pain in her head and throat. She flushed the toilet and ripped off her dress as she dragged herself in the shower, trying to wash away the remaining scent of alcohol, sickness, and _Bianca_ from her skin.

* * *

Katie was quiet on the drive to school. "I'm just not feeling very well," she told Marisol when she inquired as to why she looked like hell.

"Might have something to do with all the booze you and Bianca were knocking back," Marisol muttered under her breath.

Katie winced, trying to fight back tears at the mere mention of her name. She hated herself for letting things go so far with Bianca and hated herself even more for what she had felt when it happened.

"What was that?" Maya asked curiously from the back seat.

"Nothing," Katie seethed, grasping her head as a wave of pain shot through her forehead.

Katie had first period Calculus with Drew and she was afraid to face him. She felt so guilt-ridden; yes, she'd been angry with him last night, but she couldn't believe she'd actually cheated on him. With a _girl_, who just so happened to be one of his best friends, no less.

He sat in the desk beside her. "Katie…" he said lightly. She could hardly look at him, afraid her face would give away that she was hiding something. Finally she forced herself eyes to meet his. "I'm really sorry about last night. I was an idiot. I get it if you never want to talk to me again," he told her.

Katie bit her lip and broke their gaze, feeling a sharp pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach, causing another wave of nausea to hit her. She raised her hand quickly. "Mr. Armstrong, I'm not feeling well," she said in a pained voice as she stood. "I need to see the nurse."

He made a motion for her to leave the classroom and Katie hurried out the door, running toward the bathroom. She made it there as it was luckily just across the hall, but only had time to grab the trash can by the door before she began heaving into it. Katie let out a few more tears as her throat burned in pain, reminded of darker days when she had forced herself to vomit and loathing the feeling even more than the one she got when she thought about the events of last night.

Katie washed out her mouth and face with sink water, looking up at herself in the mirror. There were bags under her eyes and now the hair that framed her face was damp. She couldn't go back to math class and face Drew another time. It made her stomach uneasy just thinking about talking to him again. She couldn't figure out why she'd done this. She knew drinking made people do crazy things, but this was beyond anything she ever could have imagined. She didn't even want to conceive the possibility that what she felt last night had actually meant anything. She spent the remainder of the class period in the bathroom, slumped against the sink, contemplating whether or not she should try to talk to Bianca… unable to come up with a decision.

Hearing the rustling in the halls, Katie exited the ladies' room, walking to her next class. She spotted her walking in the opposite direction and froze as Bianca made eye contact with her. Katie instinctively looked down and continued on her way to class, but a moment later she found the brunette walking by her side. "Meet me at lunch in the courtyard. We need to talk," Bianca said strictly.

Katie paused, but then nodded once. The curly haired girl headed back in the opposite direction before she even had time to take another breath. Katie rotated her neck and watched her walk away for a moment, sighing deeply. She didn't know what to say or what to expect and she certainly had no explanations to give Bianca. She made her way to her English class and sat beside Marisol, not hearing a word her friend said to her as her mind was too preoccupied with her upcoming lunch conversation.


End file.
